Web-fed offset printing presses comprise reel splicers that are used to splice the paper web of a new paper reel to the paper web of a paper reel currently in use. The reel spicers known in the art comprise a splicehead having a frame onto which a web application roller is articulated by a lever between a first position, in which the current web is guided, and a second position, in which the current web is pressed against the new paper reel. The lever has two branches, one carrying the web application roller and one articulated directly to a pneumatic cylinder. The pneumatic cylinder is used to move the web application roller between its two positions.
Due to the direct coupling of the web application roller to the pneumatic cylinder, the web application roller bounces off the paper reel in case it is applied too fast on the paper reel. Consequently, the new paper web and the old paper web are not spliced correctly.